1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of indoor farming lights, and more specifically to a modular system of indoor farming lights which can provide for vertical stacking of crops. Light is the energy source that drives photosynthesis and other plant photomorphology. This invention uses energy efficient solid state lighting (LEDs) to maximize intensity in PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density measured in Micromoles per second per sq.meter (μmol/s-m2) while minimizing utility costs.
2. Description of Related Art
The indoor farming industry has been rapidly expanding since with the advent of power efficient lighting systems. Indoor farming allows growers to have greater control of the environment in which their crops grow. This controlled environment can prevent freezing over, unwanted pests, drying out, reduce water consumption by up to 90%, reduce fertilizer use, almost eliminate the use of pesticides, uses a third of the electricity, and eliminate or minimize other conditions which may negatively affect or even ruin crops. Furthermore, the grower has full control of the lighting in an indoor growing situation. This allows the grower to begin growing any type of crop, anytime of the year. In some cases, the grower can accelerate the growing cycle and harvest more times during the year than possible with outdoor growing.
Outdoor farming is most often limited to the square footage of the land. In contrast, indoor growing allows for crops to grow in a three-dimensional space. In some cases, an indoor farming operation can be a multi-level operation, wherein a building can have multiple crops on multiple levels. For example, a grower of an indoor growing operation may have one level dedicated to germination, one level dedicated to vegetation, and another level dedicated to blooming to create a farming operation that may continually be harvested. In another example, a grower of an indoor growing operation may have different levels each dedicated to the same or a different crop. This allows the grower to create different environments on different levels that best suit each individual crop.
As the popularity and interest in indoor farming has grown, so has the technology of indoor farming. Many indoor farms now utilize LED lights as they are highly efficient and can produce varying light wavelengths to optimize plant growth. However, many LED structures and drivers can be cumbersome. As a startup indoor farm may grow, the growers may have to purchase more lighting systems. Furthermore, they may wish to begin multi-tiered growing operations which requires light (not heavy) and efficient luminaires.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a modular indoor farm lighting system where a grower can easily add more lights as their operation grows. What may be further desired is a modular indoor farming system which allows a grower to easily create a multi-tiered farming operation.